Pendragon: Keys to the Future
by captainratchet
Summary: It is nearing the end. In a final desperate attempt to stop Saint Dane, Bobby will have to push reality to the hairy edge. Will he succede, or will he die?
1. A Freind Revealed

The Keys to the Future

Chapter I: A Friend Revealed

Well, the battle for Ibara was over, and I thought the overall battle for Halla was finished. I couldn't have been any more wrong. I stood in a familiar, yet devastating place all the same. As I stood there, I remembered all the things that brought me here. I remembered how it started, and everything that happened along the way. First, I remembered all the losses and deaths.

The first casualty was Uncle Press. I still lie awake at night wishing the outcome was different. His death really hit home on Second Earth, since that was where I knew him best. The second casualty was the result of my two best friends traveling. The flume on Eelong collapsed, killing Kasha, the Klee Traveler. We had been distant up until a few weeks before. We weren't exactly friends, but I had hoped to call her such in the future. I never got the chance. She died in the flume, and Spader and Gunny, two people I would've trusted my life to, were trapped.

Then came the death of someone I didn't know…directly. Remudi, the traveler from Ibara. After his death, I was determined to finish what he started. I was determined to actually save the territory of Quillan. I failed, miserably. Had I fled Quillan after he fell to his death, things there might have turned out different. Unfortunately, it wasn't the last blow I would receive on Quillan.

After weeks of effort, we had destroyed the games and were ready to unleash Mr. Pop on the world and set it straight. We were close. Closer than I ever thought we would get. For so long, the Revivers waited for the right time. When the games were destroyed, the time was right. They were close, until Mr. Pop was discovered.

It wasn't discovered by someone we thought of as an enemy at the time. The Revivers showed both the Traveler of Quillan, Nevva Winter, and my self Mr. Pop. Mr. Pop, the wonderful warehouse that contained the entire past of Quillan, was what motivated me to see the territory through to the end. I participated in the Grand X and won. The runners of Blok were gone, and Mr. Pop was ready.

Then came the Dados. They came in waves, slowly destroying Mr. Pop, and with it the entire hope of the territory. It was over. We had lost. Right before I left, the screens above the streets of Rune came to life, broadcasting the return of Blok, and their sadistic games. The Revival was over, and Quillan was lost. But the final blow wasn't the fact we lost, it was how we lost. A friend betrayed us. To the Revivers, it was shocking. To me, it was devastating. Nevva Winter was the one who revealed the location to Blok. Not only that, but she sided with Saint Dane in the end. I vowed to never set foot on Quillan again.

From there, I went to Ibara; the tropical paradise that harbored more than met the eye. At first, the territory was at peace, or so I thought. I set sail with the Jakills, the outlaw band of people who wanted nothing more than the truth, to a forgotten city. It was then that things got bad. Flighters had captured one of the Jakills and had presumably killed the rest. That is when I learned of Ibara's past. The past of Veelox itself. Yes, Ibara was just the name of the island we had started from. Veelox was the territory. I was more than three hundred years in the future of the Veelox I knew. Since then, Lifelight had shut itself down, and the world stood frozen in ruin, with all the hope on the little island of Ibara.

All you need to know is, we lost Ibara. Plain and simple. It was the first of two crushing blows to our cause. Three of the ten territories had fallen so far. I thought myself trapped on Ibara until I learned that Siry Remudi's father, the last Traveler from Ibara, had named an Acolyte. Acolytes were the Travelers main source of help. The Acolyte was on the Tribunal of Rayne. It was…surprising in the least, but then I remembered they had been friends. It was Genj. The big man on the Tribunal.

I admit, I was starting to enjoy my time on Ibara, and I would've loved to stay longer. The island wasn't exactly defenseless, but it still wasn't a safe place. People were scared, and the Flighters kept coming. One night, I was approached by Genj.

"Pendragon. A word?" He asked.

"Sure."

"There is something you should know. It involves that ring of yours," He began.

"Wait, what do you know of the ring?" I asked, puzzled.

"I know what they do. I've gotten messages," he said.

"Wait, how?"

"Through this," he finished. He pulled out the necklace that hung on his neck. It wasn't really a necklace. It was just a dark rope. It had one of the rings hanging off the end. "He told me everything. He told me to trust you when you showed up, but I was skeptical about you. You were, different. To be honest, you scared a lot of us. I couldn't find a way to explain you, but when you told us your name, we understood. Only I was told the whole truth, but we all knew that Remudi said to trust you to the end, so we gave you the chance."

"So what do you mean?"

"I mean, I know how these work. I wondered wondered down to the destroyed tunnel last night, and something happened. A section of the tunnel remained open, and this thing created a huge lightshow, and then I was staring at a large, black tunnel. I got to urge to walk down it, but something held me back. It was a good thing I did, because an explosion of light and sound came through from the other side."

"Who came back," I aksed.

"He wasn't exactly tall, and he wasn't old. He still had a bit of boyishness about him," he said.

"Did you catch his name?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact I did.. His name was Patrick. He was looking for you," he said.

"What did he want?"

"He just said to meet him on his home territory."

So Genj led me down to the tunnel and through to the flume. That was how I managed to escape Ibara. I arrived in the flume cave, and sure enough, it was there. I suddenly wished I could stay, but I had a mission to accomplish. I called out," Third Earth."

"Stay here and do what you can to keep this territory headed down the right path," I called to Genj. "If you can do that, we my just very well turn this territory back the right way. Good luck."

"Good luck to you Pendragon. I hope you find what you're looking for, and I hope it isn't a complete nightmare," he said.

"I hope so too," I called out, and the light took me away.


	2. Dawn

Chapter II: Dawn

(Well, for those of you who enjoyed the first chapter, this is the second. Take your time and enjoy)

I could no longer see the stars. The images in space had become so cluttered that that was all I could see. I won't bother to describe them, why waste my time. I will say this about them though: they seemed to be forming one solid image, but were still very fuzzy and disfigured. I have no blasted idea as to what it means, but it can't be good. Not in the least. I can remember a time when the field of stars was clear and magnificent, now it looked defaced and scarred. Life just doesn't make sense anymore.

Suddenly, I heard the chaotic yet sweet music at the end of the flume, but also felt something. It was a blast of hot, dry air. Never before have had I actually felt something when I left the flume. I decided not to worry about it, and then I hit the ground, hard. I was literally thrown out. I rolled around on my back and saw the door to the subway was wide open. I glanced out just in time to see the tail of a train gliding past. I can guarantee the people aboard saw me fall rudely into Third Earth.

I picked myself up and looked at the flume. It was still active. The music was long gone, but the light blasted out, scorching my eyes. I shook my head, and looked over the room. A small pile of clothes lay neatly by the wall with those shoe things sitting on top. I quickly changed and headed towards the door. So far so good.

I was almost there, when I remembered one thing. I had to contact Patrick, but the usual card wasn't there. I checked my pockets, but it wasn't there either. I had to go alone for now. No matter, I wouldn't have to wait for him to show up.

I left the room and climbed onto the tracks. I made for the station. I was almost there when a blaring horn came from behind me. Another train was closing in. I ran faster, and the blaring noise still came. With a final push, I leaped over the raised edge and sprawled on the stations floor. I had made it just in time. The train roared by the empty station.

The lights were on, but there was no one here. I hurried for the escalator that would take me up to the surface. It stood frozen. I ascended and finally reached the top.

It was night, and there was no one about except for one Dado walking around. I left the building and saw it was very cloudy. The moon was half hidden, and, it was very clear all the same. I stepped down the sidewalk towards the direction I knew the library was in. I knew nothing about where Patrick lived, so I thought I would wait at the library till morning.

I should've stayed underground. The Dado saw me and marched over the grass and street. Closer inspection revealed that it was a security Dado. Oh crap. "Stop, sir. You should not be out at night," it said.

"Why," I asked. It was the only thing I could think of.

"You are in violation of the curfew over this area. Please, allow me to escort you to safety," it replied. Safety? What dangers could make a curfew necessary here?

"Sure," I said. It was better to go along with it for now. "I was trying to get to a friends house. He's expecting me. Can you take me there?"

"Certainly. Please identify this companion," the Dado requested.

"Sure. Mr. Patrick Mac?" I said.

His head swiveled as if searching for information, and he said," Patrick A. Mac, 1478 Magnolia Road, Manhattan. Come with me." He led me to one of those golf cart like things and began to drive. The grassy meadows and trees flashed by in the dark until we reached a large bridge. We rolled over it and into downtown Manhattan.

This is where I began to notice a change. The buildings were more high tech than last time I was here, and security Dados were everywhere. They weren't patrolling in lazy lines like the one that picked me up. These were in full on alert. They patrolled in groups of three, shoulder to shoulder.

"So, where is this place?" I asked.

"Just three more blocks," the Dado replied. He pulled up to a large apartment building sometime later. "I'm afraid I must escort you to Mr. Mac's door. Follow me." He led me up to the building and entered a security code or something and the door clicked open. He entered, and I followed.

I was led down a long hall and to an elevator. There were no buttons on the wall, just a slot. He pulled a card from his left pocket and inserted it. A light flashed green, and the elevator hummed down to our floor. The door opened and we entered.

The outside may have been high tech and impressive, but the inside was old and creaky. The floor was covered in green carpet, and a dingy bulb lit the inside. The walls were made of what looked like oak, and the buttons were covered in grime. He clicked the button marked "14".

The elevator rose, and the light bounced back and forward, casting half of the elevator in shadow. Numbers flashed by slowly on a dark screen above the door and settled on 14. The door groaned open, and we stepped out. We went to the right, and stopped at a door marked 1478.

"May I please have your name?" the Dado asked.

"It is Pendragon," I replied.

His head swiveled again, and he said," No record of Pendragon. What is your first name?"

"Robert," I replied.

His head swiveled even more and he said," No records of Pendragon, Robert exist."

"Just use that name," I barked.

"Very well." He touched a black button and a calm voice radiated out of a speaker," Yes?"

"I have a Mr. Pendragon to see Mr. Mac," the security Dado said.

"Please hold."

We waited, and waited, and waited some more until Patrick's voice came on the intercom," Yeah? Come on in." The door unlocked and a second Dado stood in the door way.

"Right this way," it said. I entered, and the door shut behind me. The Dado told me to wait in the study off the main hall, so I did. It was a large room. It had a rather large desk and chairs scattered haphazardly about the room. A large painting hung on the wall. It showed a busy city. Underneath it, it said," New York City; 2358"

"That was when we started learning about the mistakes we made in society. That is when we started to focus on saving the earth, not over-running it," came a voice from the doorway. I turned around, and it was Patrick. He looked bad. His hair was messy and deep shadows hung under his eyes. "Now I have a question. Why are you here?"

"What do you mean? Why am I here? You went to Ibara looking for me, didn't you?" I asked.

"No, I've never set foot on Ibara. Who told you this?" He replied.

"It was Genj," I said. "Remudi's Acolyte."

He rubbed his chin and said," I knew Remudi. He never named an Acolyte. Someone is setting you up. However, if someone led you here, something is about to go down. And I know something is about to go down."

"Strange. I'm here now, so I have to ask. What is with the curfew?" I questioned.

Patrick looked at me and said," It was put into affect a few months ago. I only found out recently as to why. War is looming on the horizon. I can see it coming. Everyday, people are pulled into the underground, never to be seen again. No one is allowed down there freely anymore. Something is going on down there, and I should very much like to know what it is."

"I want to see what actually led to what is happening now. Can you take me to the library?"

"Yes, but it'll have to wait till dawn. You smell. Use my shower. Through there," he pointed me through a second door from the study and soon, I was alone.

I stood in the shower, and let the hot water message my neck. If Remudi never appointed an Acolyte, that either meant Genj was being forced to say what he said, or Genj wasn't Genj. I hoped it was neither. If it wasn't, then Saint Dane really wanted me on Third Earth. If it wasn't, then Patrick was a liar. I couldn't believe that last one would be true, so I tossed it out the window.

I grew bored, and finished my shower. I toweled off and left the room. The service dado led me to a room with a spare bed and I got some sleep. Soon, morning came, and it was time to get some answers.

I stretched and walked down the hall and into a bright kitchen. Patrick sat at the table sipping at some coffee.

"Before you eat," he said to me. "You need to see this."

He got up and led me outside. We were on a balcony. He pointed towards the ocean. What I saw was horrible. Hundreds of warships lined the ocean view.

"They arrived about an hour ago. Soon, they will be sailing to Europe. And war," he said. "The preparations have begun. I will still take you to the library later."

Dawn brought a nightmare. We had to stop it, I was sure.


	3. Revelations in the Dark

Chapter III: Revelation in the Dark

(For all of those who have followed the story so far, congratulations, but I think a recap is in order.

It all started when Bobby explained to us how he escaped Ibara, the war torn paradise. It was with the help of the so-called-Acolyte, Genj, but he wasn't who he appeared, or so it appears. Follow? So, Bobby headed for Third Earth where he met up with Patrick, the middle aged traveler who was in a bit of a rut. This is where we left off, so enjoy chapter III: Europe Through the Ages)

Holy…Freaking…Shit! I thought all the sights I saw before were enough to make me loose my nerve, but this was something else. I clutched the railing on the fourteenth floor balcony for support. Seeing hundreds upon hundreds off massive warships will do that to a person. Each and every one had the American flag waving from the mast.

"They started assembling last night, they just completed this morning. It will take about three days to finish the final checks on board, then, they sail," Patrick said solemnly.

"To where?" I asked, breathlessly. I looked at Patrick, demanding an answer.

"Europe. I said that before," he asked, puzzled.

"Where in Europe?"

"I think I could dig that up, but it could cause trouble," Patrick said. "I do happen to have some connections in the government, I could see if they could divulge some of information."

"Good, see what you can do. Now, can we go to the library?" I asked.

"Yes, I think we can leave. I just don't want to be seen leaving," he said.

"Why?"

"I don't want to join those who have been forcibly taken underground. And if I must, I won't go without a fight," he said with a huge edge in his voice. It was clear that whatever was going on down there couldn't be good. I knew that, eventually, we would have to find out what was happening to those people.

"So, if you don't want to be seen, how do we get out?" I asked.

He smiled and said," The emergency stairs." He headed for a wall and began pealing the wallpaper off. "This room happens to connect to the service hall on this floor. From there, we can take the emergency stairs to the sub-parking level." He finished to reveal a wooden door with no handle. He searched near the top and hit a button. The door slid into the wall to reveal a dark hall with cracked paint. There were no lights.

He grabbed a flashlight and switched it on. He turned left and ran along the hall. I followed, and heard the click of the door as it slid into place. He stopped, and I ran into him. He stood standing, but I sailed back. He grabbed my hand and pulled me up with surprising strength.

He shined the light on a rusty door handle and turned it. The door opened inwards, and we were in the staircase.

(Switch to Third Person; Not Part of Journal)

The old elevator rose silently through the building. Floor numbers clicked by. Eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen. It finally settled on fourteen. The elevator bounced, and the doors opened. Four security Dados marched out, golden stun guns within their steely grasp. They passed right by apartments. Sixty Eight, Seventy, Seventy Two, Seventy Four, Seventy Six. They came to a stop at apartment 1478. The lead Dado knocke three times on the door and waited.

No one answered. They could hear no sounds from the other side. The lead Dado's earpiece buzzed," Sergeant, you are clear for entry into Apartment 1478 Magnolia Road. Repeat, you are clear for entry." The Sergeant Security Dado motioned for the three others to flatten against the wall on either side of the door. Two on the left, and one on the right. They readied their weapons, and the Sergeant kicked the door in. Wooden splinters hung from the hinges as the door sailed into the entry hall and crashed against a table, causing a porcelain vase to shatter.

The lead Dado motioned for the three others to fan out and search the apartment. They did. The Sergeant headed to the back and held his gun in front of him in the ready position. No one was there.

"Report," he commanded in a grisly monotone.

"Negative."

"Nothing to report."

"All clear."

"Commander. The apartment is empty. We do not have Mr. Patrick A. Mac. Requesting permission to search adjoining apartments," the Sergeant asked quickly. He waited for several minutes.

"Permission granted Sergeant. You are now clear to place the entire floor under arrest. Good luck," came the Commanders gravely voice. The Commander was odd, even the Dados could tell that. No one was allowed to see the Commander, but the Commander had no problems giving orders over audio. It left most humans perplexed.

The Sergeant said," Begin a sweep of this entire level. Place everyone under arrest, and kill those who refuse." The Sergeant left Apartment 1478 and walked across the hall to 1479. With one solid motion, he kicked the door in. A family screamed.

"By order of the Federation of Unified Peace, all persons within this apartment are placed under arrest. Please lay down on the ground with your hands out in front of you," the Sergeant ordered. A woman and two small children got down on the ground. A man rushed in from the back carrying a rifle.

"No! I will not let you take my children!" He roared and he fired. The bullets hit the Dado, but left no visible damage. Upon seeing this, the man cowered and began to run. He didn't get far. The Dado aimed his golden gun and fired. The man was dead before he hit the ground.

"Do not resist, or you will meet the same fate as that man. Remain on the ground," the Sergeant barked as he placed handcuffs on each of the three remaining people. He backed out into the hall and proceeded to the other apartments. After twenty minutes, all the doors had been kicked in, and anyone they found was either in custody or dead.

"Commander," the Sergeant said. "This floor is clear. Awaiting extraction."

"Extraction has been approved and is on the way," the Commander bellowed. "There is just one thing. A side passage was discovered on the blue prints of the building. It is possibly an emergency hall, but there is an entrance to it from apartment 1478. You know what to do."

"Yes. You two, stay here. You, come with me!" The Sergeant screeched. "Move the captives up to the roof." The Sergeant and a second Dado re-entered 1478. In the back, there was a wooden door that opened up into a dark passage. They entered it.

(Back to First Person; Bobby PoV)

We were nearing the bottom of the building when we heard a noise. It sounded like a door above us had been blasted in. Then we heard running footsteps.

"Hurry," I said as they sounded as if they were getting lower. We did. We reached the ground floor, and kept going down. First, we past Basement Level I, the Basement Level II, and finally, Sub Parking Level I. Patrick opened the door and we rushed through it. We saw a large metal cylinder conveniently pushed on it's side. We weren't sure about how long it would stop whatever was behind us, but we gave it a shot.

After it was in place, we headed to Patrick's car. It was a four seater. We hopped in the front, and he began to drive.

"My my, I wondered when you would show up," came a gravely voice from behind me. I thought it was a Dado, but it wasn't.

"Who are you?" I asked with anger.

"Why, just a friend," he said. I knew that voice. It was a voice I hadn't heard since Cloral. It was the voice of a man who gave me everything, and took it all way in one trip. It was my friend. It was someone I knew by heart. It was my uncle.

Sure enough, the light clicked on, and his face was there. He looked just as I remembered him. He still had the blood soaked swimskin from Cloral, and a bright smile on his face. His hair was longer than it was when he died. In my mind, I knew who it really was, but my heart didn't want to believe it.

I called out," Uncle Press."

"Yes, it is me," he replied. My heart had taken over my mind. I really believed it was my Uncle.

Patrick turned around, alarm on his face. "Pendragon, that can't be your Uncle. He's dead. You told me so yourself."

"I told you, you would see me again one day, and here I am. And, your family is waiting for you," he said calmly. "All you have to do is leave this world forever."

"What, as in going back to Second Earth?"

"No. You must leave this world forever. You must never return to Denduron, Cloral, Veelox, Eelong, Quillan, Ibara, Zadaa, First Earth, Third earth, or even Second Earth. When you can accept that, you will see your family again," he said.

"Are you saying that I have to leave Halla?" I aksed.

"No, but you must leave the territories," he said.

It was in that moment that I realized it. My mind had fought through and I saw it. It was faint, but it was there. The slight icy glint in his eyes. It wasn't my Uncle. It was Saint Dane.

"No!" I shouted. "I can see who you really are."

"I guess I have to do this the hard way. You have outlived your usefulness. Either you do what I ask, or you will see firsthand how I rule my world. I don't need to be challenged anymore, and you don't really want to challenge me either. Do you? You lost sight of that when you became just like me on Ibara. You mixed the territories just as much as I have, and yet you still claim innocence. It is pathetic. I wish you luck if you try to stop me, for the Convergence has begun. The walls are gone, and it is too late for you and your kind."

That was what it meant. All the images in the flume were the early stages of the Convergence. It was clear to me now, the outcome of that, was the outcome of Halla itself.

"Tell me, what did you mean by 'Halla is only the beginning!'" I roared.

"You will have to find out on your own. Until then, good-bye," he opened the door and leaped out.

"Patrick. Can you please drive now?" I asked.

"Uhh, sure," he said. Soon, we were out in open air.


	4. Evening of Respite

Chapter 4: Evening of Respite

We drove as fast as humanly possible on the highway, not stopping for anything. We found ourselves weaving in and out of rush hour traffic. "The entire underground system has been closed. People aren't allowed to use the trains anymore, which created this traffic jam. We've been hearing more and more reports of occurrences like this all over the country," Patrick said frantically. He flipped out a cell-phone and held down the five key. Seconds later it was ringing. He hit the speaker button.

Someone picked up on the other end," Hallow?"

"Carl?" Patrick asked.

"Aye, that'd be me," the man replied. His voice was low, but it had a soothing quality too it. "What can I do you fer?"

"I need some information," Patrick whispered into the device.

"I migh' be able to gettya somethin'."

"Information the F.U.P doesn't want out."

"Well, migh' have a bit o' trouble gettin' to it. What sorta info?"

"What is the army and _servants_ of the F.U.P doing? Where exactly in Europe are they going, and why?"

"I coul' loose me head over thatun," Carl replied.

"I know, I know, but this is really important," Patrick replied.

"Very well. Meet under Queens Bridge in an hour. Don' be late," he said, and the line went dead. Patrick flipped the phone closed and hit the brakes just in time to avoid slamming into the back or rush hour traffic. He cut the wheel and began to move, weaving in and out of traffic. More than a few people gave us the finger. In the distance, sirens wailed.

"Damn!" he yelled as six or seven cars screamed in front of us from a side alley. Patrick tried to hit the break, but it was too late. We hit the black cars going sixty miles per hour. I saw the metal crunch around me as the airbag deployed. I saw Patrick's head slam against the steering wheel. A huge gash appeared on his forehead as a stray piece of flying metal clipped him. He was still conscious and he screamed. The black cars barely looked phased.

Doors opened on all of them and two Dados rose from them. "Crap!" I said to myself out of frustration.

"Halt!" came the grisly monotone of a Dado over the beeping of random car horns. He was storming towards us, as were the rest of the Dados. They had their hands curved over their golden guns. Their eyes were deep, dark, and focused on us. I busily calculated how much energy it would require to escape, taking into mind the fact that Patrick was injured. I looked to the right and noticed that we were next to the entrance to the subway that held the Flume.

I smiled as I unbuckled Patrick's seat belt, then my own. He was conscious enough to know to move. He hoisted himself out and ducked behind a car, but the bleeding looked bad. I didn't know how long could remain awake, so every second counted. I rolled out onto the pavement and mirrored his ducking motion. He walked heavily behind our crunched piece of metal that was once a car and stumbled over to me.

"Quick, put your arm around my shoulder!" I said. He did and we headed for the entrance to the subway. The Dados didn't open fire, so it was clear that we were wanted alive. The Dados began to follow, but were impeded more than we were by the cars on the street as they were bigger than us. We made it to the escalators, and, as expected, they weren't moving. I helped Patrick stumble down, and we hit the bottom. I would've made a beeline for the Flume, but something was happening below on the shopping levels.

Long lines snaked their way through the complex. Each was composed of men, women, and children. Normally, I wouldn't think twice about this, but the underground was empty the past few times I was here. Stern security Dados prodded people along. Every so often, they would push people into doors that would then close. Families, it seemed, were kept together. There was one significant thing about this scene that I have yet to mention. Every person, be it man, woman, or child, wore an early looking version of the loops from Quillan. Had these people lost something, or were they there just to keep track of prisoners? I don't know, but you can bet I will find out.

Something tore me away from the scene. It was something like a golden bullet whizzing through the air. It hit the glass railing, which shattered. A Dado calmly descended the escalator, it's hands around a golden rifle. "Pendragon!" Patrick said weakly. "Run!"

I looked at him," No, I won't leave you." I redoubled my grip as he began to sink down and led him onto the tracks. He put his right hand on the wall to get some more of his balance back. He was able to move a little faster, and we eventually hit the door. We could hear the Dado scramble behind us. We opened the door and hit the tunnel. I stared into its inky blackness and thought about where to go. I had no desire to return to Quillan, and I doubted anyone on Ibara would be able to help me this time. I hesitated and called out," Veelox!"

The tunnel began to light up, and the musical notes came and picked Patrick and I up right as the walls melted to form glorious crystal. Soon, we were floating on the cushion of air and as we looked back, we saw the Dado enter the room and freeze. The light basted his face, and he disappeared.

And a miracle happened. The images beyond the star field began to drift apart. Not by much, but it was noticeable. Before I knew it, we were deposited in the black room that held the Flume on Veelox, and right on top of a tall, thin guy with wild hair. It was clear he tried to use the flume, but we were deposited before he could call out his destination. Before the light faded, he said one word," Pendragon???" The voice clicked and all the thoughts lined up. Siry was on Veelox.

"Siry?" I replied.

"EYYY! It is you! Aja! Come quick! It's Pendragon!" Siry roared. The exit to the cavern flew open and light flooded the room. In stepped Aja, the traveler from Veelox.

"Is it, really you this time?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" I replied, perplexed.

"Saint Dane came calling. We thought he was you. He used your image. You're you, aren't you?" she replied breathlessly.

I blinked," Of course I'm me."

She stared into my eyes with her bright green ones. She squinted and yelped," IT IS YOU!" She looked at Patrick and gasped. "Who's that?"

"This is the traveler from Third Earth, Patrick, but right now he needs help," I said. She looked at him and nodded. Now, you're probably wondering why I didn't take him to Second Earth. Well, Veelox is way more technologically advanced, and since Lifelight is still running, sort of, Aja could easily take care of Patrick. And I was right.

We were led to the main street, but kept to the shadows. I asked why and she replied," Things have changed. There are people who wish to do us harm for loosing control of Lifelight. We are almost out of control. Tomorrow, our plans are to begin and we are to move to the island of Ibara. And you both know what happens then." She left the sentence hanging. We all knew it. Aja would die tomorrow. That was all I could think about as Patrick was taken into the big pyramid. Aja would die tomorrow.


End file.
